POLICE in Middleton have arrested a 14-year-old boy in connection with an arson attack in Alkrington, which killed two horses, and are looking to make further arrests.

The boy, who cannot be named, is believed to have handed himself in to CID officers at Middleton Police Station on Friday.

The youth is thought to be one of up to 12 involved in the fatal Ramsden's Farm fire, which took place on 8 November.

The boy was released on police bail until 17 December, pending further enquiries, as police attempt to trace a number of teenagers in connection with the incident.

A police spokesman said: "We still have to speak to the firefighter who was called out to the blaze, but officers went to see a young man in connection with the incident. He eventually admitted starting the fire, and claims that it was an accident."

Local feeling is running high after the callous killing of two innocent horses and it is rumoured that the one boy who has so far confessed did so for his own safety because of fear of retaliation.

On the evening of the incident, it is believed that a party of youngsters in a field adjacent to the stable were disturbed by older youths carrying alcohol, who intimidated several of the group into leaving. What happened after that time is unclear.

One local resident, who did not want to be named, told the Guardian: "Everyone around here knows that a group of about a dozen were there and started the fire."

Those who cared for the horses - Roma and Dillon - are still grief-stricken at the loss and understandably want to make sure the nightmare will not be repeated.

One very emotional friend of the horses owners said: "I just want to see justice done."

Although animal lovers and decent citizens alike had been 'baying for blood' after the despicable crime, an ethos of 'no grassing' has prevailed in a community that seems to know exactly who the culprits are, where they go to school, and how the whole sorry tale ended in the tragic deaths of two much-loved animals, one of whom was in foal.

l Much has been made of the Middleton Guardian's coverage of the terrible arson attack that claimed the lives of Roma and Dillon - especially after we printed a photograph of one of the dead horses.

Many letters of complaint have been received criticising a 'lack of sensitivity' or accusing the Guardian of 'irresponsible sensationalism' for showing the picture two weeks ago. But we stand by our decision to print the photograph, which we felt conveyed the full horror of this act of senseless vandalism.

Our views seem to have been echoed in this letter, printed on the right of this page, which we received from Roma's owner, Jennifer Groom, in response to a complaint, which appeared in last week's Guardian.